A four-line control card
- Entertainment amount: money that is not needed for housing, food, debt or savings.
- End time: a specific clock time, not “when the balance changes”.
- Excluded actions: borrowing, credit, feature buys, stake increases and chasing.
- Stop signal: secrecy, irritation, skipped obligations or an urge to recover.
Reduce speed and access
Remove saved payment methods, disable marketing messages, turn off autoplay and turbo controls, and use device or bank gambling blocks where available. Take a real break when the timer ends. Moving to a different game is not a break.
Independent support
Gambling Help Online provides free and confidential Australian support. BetStop is the national self-exclusion register for licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers; it is not a universal block for offshore online casinos. Device-level blocking tools, bank controls and trusted-person support can close additional gaps.
When to act now
Seek immediate help if gambling is affecting essential costs, mental health, safety or relationships. Tell a trusted person and move money required for essentials away from gambling access. In an emergency in Australia, call 000.